{"id":515,"date":"2001-09-05T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2001-09-05T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/mind-body-the-real-reasons-youre-tired\/"},"modified":"2001-09-05T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2001-09-05T00:00:00","slug":"mind-body-the-real-reasons-youre-tired","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/1millionbestdownloads.com\/mind-body-the-real-reasons-youre-tired\/","title":{"rendered":"The Real Reasons You're Tired"},"content":{"rendered":"
Even if you manage to get to bed at a decent hour most nights, were willing to wager that youre exhausted. Women complain about feeling tired nearly four times as often as men. But if your fatigue is so crippling that it makes it hard to care for your family, do your job, or enjoy your social life—and lasts for several weeks—dont just blame the draining demands of modern life.<\/p>\n
Fatigue can be a symptom of everything from the mundane to the life-threatening, says Neil Shulman, MD, associate professor in the department of medicine at Emory University Medical School and co-author of Your Bodys Red Light Warning Signals<\/em>. And, while figuring out whats wrong can be challenging, experts insist that many of the reasons for exhaustion are easy to fix. Talk to your doctor about the following possibilities.<\/p>\n No-need-for-alarm reasons youre tired:<\/strong> What to do:<\/strong> A B12 blood test (your doc can do the test in the office by taking blood from your arm) will reveal your level. B12 comes mainly from animal sources, so make sure your diet includes dairy, eggs, meat, or fish. Vegans can opt for fortified veggie burgers or soy milk. B12 does come in supplement form, but its not easily absorbed. Your doc might recommend an injection.[ pagebreak ]Drugs are sapping your energy<\/strong> What to do:<\/strong> Medicine fatigue isnt something you always have to live with. New or different formulations may not have the same effects, so check with your doctor about switching brands, dosages, or treatments. Keep an eye on labels, too: If insomnia is listed as a side effect, dont ignore that warning.<\/p>\n You have a vitamin D<\/a> deficit<\/strong> What to do:<\/strong> A “25-hydroxy vitamin D” test of your blood (taken from a vein at the docs office) can check your levels; normal is about 16 to 74 nanograms per milliliter. Although you can find vitamin D in fish, eggs, and cod liver oil, Dr. Volgman says, most women who are deficient can benefit from supplements. To beat fatigue, she recommends 10 minutes of sunshine per day. A multivitamin can deliver 800 IU, twice the recommended daily amount.[ pagebreak ]Surprising disorders that can cause fatigue<\/strong> What to do:<\/strong> Check into your family history, an important risk factor, to find out if anyone else has a thyroid imbalance. Your physician will order a thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) blood test. If its positive, youll probably need thyroid-hormone-replacement therapy for the rest of your life. Good news: It usually works great.<\/p>\n Youre depressed<\/strong>
Youre low on Vitamin B12 <\/strong>
The nutrient is an energy booster that maintains healthy nerve cells and oxygen-transporting red blood cells. If youre low, you may feel draggy. You might also suffer from constipation or diarrhea, says womens-health expert Sandra Fryhofer, MD, past president of the American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine. If left unchecked, a deficit can lead to numbness and tingling in the hands and feet, difficulty with balance, poor memory, and confusion.<\/p>\n
Side effects from prescription and over-the-counter medicines like antihistamines can secretly sap your energy. Each person reacts to allergy meds differently, and some might make you drowsy even if theyre touted as non-drowsy formulas. Many beta-blockers for hypertension are also known for causing fatigue, and certain antidepressants have the same effect.<\/p>\n
Todays healthy desire to avoid sun damage has created an epidemic of D deficiency, says Annabelle Volgman, MD, a cardiologist and medical director of the Heart Center for Women at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. In fact, many of her female patients complaining of fatigue and chest pain<\/a> are low in D, which the body makes from exposure to sunshine. The cause of the D-deficiency-and-fatigue connection isnt clear, but low levels of this vitamin are associated with increased risks of heart disease, high blood pressure<\/a>, some cancers, and neurological disorders.<\/p>\n
Your thyroids out of whack<\/strong>
If you cant lose weight or have unexplained weight gain, drier skin than usual, a slowed heart rate<\/a>, a change in your periods, or a feeling of being cold—along with fatigue—you may have hypothyroidism, says Francine Kaufman, MD, head of the Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland, located in your neck, doesnt produce enough metabolism-regulating hormones. If it progresses without treatment, the disorder can cause constipation, infertility, joint pain, and heart disease. Eight out of 10 thyroid disease patients are women, and about 5% of women in their child-bearing years are thought to suffer from hypothyroidism, although some experts think the numbers are much higher.<\/p>\n
“Fatigue is one of the most common signs of major depression,” says David Mischoulon, MD, PhD, a staff psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. About 12 million adults (more women than men) suffer from depression—and the lifetime risk for women is about 20%.<\/p>\n